A Moment, Frozen in Time
by Machina Super Monstrum
Summary: Drabbles and one shots as they strike. Some will be their own, others will be cut scenes from other stories that I'm still rather proud of. Number 11: Time Limit
1. Could be better

Could be better…

***A/N: This one was just a thought that expanded in my mind, inspired by the song Academy by BlackGryh0n and Baasik. A cliché concept I'm sure but when an idea strikes, I run with it.***

Late…that was the only way that Pyrrha could've describe what time it was. She'd been practicing in the range for hours, the last other student left quite a while ago and even the teacher monitoring it all had left, only telling her to lock up after she left.

With a heave of her aching muscles, she flings Akoúo̱ into one of the practice dummies around the training floor while pulling Miló on several others.

1….2….3 rounds before the resounding clang of the shield knocking into the first target, deflecting onto its carefully calculated course towards the second.

4….5….6….three more targets shot before the clang again, bouncing towards the next target.

7…8….ni-no….a miss! The bullet impacting harmlessly into the wall as Akoúo̱ strikes its final target and slings back into Pyrrha's waiting hand, stubbing her ring finger a bit.

Her body untenses and she collapses to the floor, taking a knee. Akoúo̱ drops to the ground as she slams her fist into the ground. "Damnit! I missed!" She cries to the empty room, the dummies down at her, grimaces on their faces, as if mocking her for her failures.

"No….I failed…" She slams her fist into the ground again. "I can't fail. I fail, people get hurt. People I care about…." Her teeth grind as she forces her tired frame upright. "I can do better, I have to do better."

'But what if you can't?' That little voice, 'What if this is best you can do and it's all downhill from here?'

The gladiator shook her head, trying to clear that niggling voice from the back of her mind. "No. I can't think like that." She taps the button to reset the room, the various dummies rearranging themselves as she raises her shield and rifle once again.

'Your failure, your inability, will get them all hurt, or worse, killed.'

Her hand tightens around the grip of her shield as she fights back the tears that threaten to well forth., Her body shaking from a combination of fatigue and fear.

Clenching her teeth all the tighter, she hurls Akoúo̱ towards the first target while dropping into a stable firing stance, aiming down at the iron sights and taking her shots more carefully.

1….2….3… All three rounds hitting their targets with perfect accuracy as the shield hits dummy number one.

4…5…6… Another 3 hits followed by the second strike.

7….8….9... The three final shots hit as she intended while the sound of her shield impacting the final target reverberates loudly through the empty training hall.

She catches it with a relieved sigh, sliding it into its proper place on her back. 'You can still do better.'

Pyrrha sighs as she looks out a nearby window at the red horizon of a rising sun. The voice was right, she could do better, she could BE better….in time. Improvement is gradual, and though she'll always have that little voice in her head telling her she could do more, be stronger, Pyrrha resolved that morning, to make that voice a positive motivation rather than letting it tear her apart.

She could be better. Every day was an opportunity to be better in some way.

A smile spread on her weary face as she locked up the training room and trudged back to the dorm filled with her sleeping teammates.

Could be better….but could be worse right?

***A/N: Cliché, yeah. Cheesy, definitely. Its out of my head though and out there for all of you to see and I hope it was of at least minor entertainment. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.***


	2. Break the Barrier

Drabble 2: Break the barrier

***A/N: inspired by much of Carbon Maestro's work on Youtube. Seems I might be starting a trend perhaps?***

When your Semblance is Speed, what can you do but run? Run in combat, run in training, even run in life….but that doesn't always have to be running 'away' from it.

Ruby's thoughts spiraled and spun as the wind roared in her ears, feeling the adrenaline spike in her system as she ran faster and faster, leaping high into the air over obstacles, her feet touching the ground with nary a stumble or a stutter in her gait.

There's a certain calmness that comes from this running, wind rushes, trees zip past, the ground flies beneath her but her mind derives order from this chaos, it needs this chaos to function.

The cliff edge approaches rapidly, a smile cracking her pale face, her grey orbs shimmering in the rising sun. She puts on more and more speed with each step, feeling her breathe come in heaves and the sweat beading on her brow.

With a final push on the very edge of the cliff, the air cracks as the small girl hits supersonic speeds, launching through the open sky with more speed than anyone else could handle.

A loud, joyous laugh tears from her throat, 'This is a joy that I alone am able to experience. All mine!'

She contorts her body, spinning into her Crimson Corkscrew, trying to pick up further speed and elongate her wondrous flight. As she spins, she cuts through the air, her speed never dropping in the slightest as she pushes farther and farther. 'I can do it!' Her speed cycles higher and higher with each rotation, 'I can! I know I can!' The resistance of the air begins to be noticeable, forcing against her still spiraling form. 'I CAN BREAK THAT BARRIER! MY BARRIER!' She roars against the lashing wind as her spin stutters for just a moment, 'No….NO!' Her eyes widen as she feels her speed begin to drop, just shy of her coveted Mach 2.

'Please no….I can do it….I know I can!' Her teeth clench and her jaw sets as the flame of determination roars within her heart and mind. Focusing everything she has, she maintains her spin, forcing further speed into her already rapid rotation.

'I can….I can….I AM RUBY ROSE AND I CAN DO THIS!' Her body shudders as an imperceptible barrier is passed. She did it, Mach 2 is achieved and the whole world tears beneath her as tears of joy stream from her face and her cries of passion are ripped away by the rushing wind.

'I did it!' Her corkscrew turns, flying back towards the glowing tower that signals her home. 'I broke the glass ceiling, means that the sky is the limit! Next….mach 3!'


	3. Useless

Drabble 3: Useless

***A/N: This one came from Obsolete by TwentyTen and Asimov by Two Steps from Hell. Definitely a pattern now eh?***

Penny paced upon the roof of the hotel that the Atlesian representatives were staying. Her thoughts spun, circling around a memory; that of the AK-130 being replaced several days ago. One thought rang through her head, 'Will that be me someday?'

Logically she knew that she was not perfect, time brought new technology and new technology brought improvements. But emotionally, she couldn't help but question it. Was she not also a person; a woman with her own dreams and desires, greater than those soulless automatons?

A sigh passed her thin lips, an idiosyncrasy she's picked up from her time with Ruby. Her ears perk as the click and squeak of a door opening signals the entrance of another.

"Penny."

"Ironwood." Her voice holds a neutral as she turns to face her handler and superior.

"Ah, you must be in a somber mood to address me so callously."

"That is…" She sighs again, "Sorry. I do have something on my mind though."

The tall general leans against the ledge overlooking the twinkling lights of Vale. "And what might that be? You are free to tell me anything Penny."

"What happens when I become obsolete sir?"

He arches a brow, "And what brought this on?"

"You are replacing the AK-130s as easily as one would replace an old tool. What happens to the now defunct models? And what happens to the Enforcers when they themselves are eventually surpassed?" She turns from the cityscape to stare at the sky. "If they can be replaced so easily, what does that mean for me? I am a prototype, if I succeed, there will be more of me, taking the place of Hunters and Huntresses on the fields of combat. B-but….In giving us a soul, even a synthetic one, have we become people or are we still nothing but weapons, to be used on an enemy? I have so many questions and worries…"

The broad shouldered general takes a deep breath, loosening his tie and staring off into the glimmering lights below before giving his reply, "Those are all valid concerns Penny. The AK-130s will now be either recycled for parts or sold for defense of the smaller villages. The Enforcers will likely follow a similar path when their time has come as well. But," He takes another deep breathe, a tiny smile creeping across his normally stoic face. "You are not an AK-130 or an Enforcer, you are an entirely new route. You worry for your self-preservation and that alone shows that you have taken a different, but not necessarily bad, path in your development." He pulls off his gloves as a tiny breeze ruffles the edges of his coat. "Who or what you are remains to be seen, to be figured out by you. Though your body may become obsolete through the years, there is one thing that you should always keep in mind, something that you must always hold close."

"W-what's that?"

"A soul is never useless."

***A/N: Another one that was just a thought in my head, had to get it out.***


	4. Moving On, Moving Forward

***A/N: I've finally decided to post this one. I was unsure but I feel I should let this be free as I have the others. Please forgive any mistakes, it was written on my tablet. Musical inspiration goes to Last Train To Paradise by KDrew and Moondust by Jaymes Young, both of them in their Urbanstep versions.***

Lie Ren is an early riser, a very early riser, always up before the sun had even peaked from the edge of the land, but that served him well. It was nice to be up when one could be all alone.

Walks at these hours are some of the most pleasant, the bracing morning air, the stillness making the crunch of his boots on the grass all the louder, and especially the the glistening dew from the cool nights just waiting for the first rays of morning light. A squat stump near the center of the garden, his comfortable spot in this quiet morning.

Taking a seat upon it, he folds his legs and clears his mind, merely listening to the sounds of the world waking up...

The gentle chirp of rising birds...

The low rustling of leaves in the whispers of a breeze, a promise of later winds...

The crackle of debris as small life comes to greet the new dawn...

The first weak rays of the new day crack the horizon, casting long shadows upon the dim world lending their meagerly warmth to those in its path...

All sensations slowly fades as the Hunter drifts away, the ebb and flow of the living, breathing world tugging him to and fro, away from this land of strife.

A single thought joins the serenity overtaking the man as he drifts farther and farther along, "When the night ends, the day begins. When a life ceases, another takes its place. When an old adventure stops..."

* * *

Ren jerks awake, being shaken by an always excitable Nora. "Come on Ren, BREAKFAST!"

A small smile crosses his serene face as he nods, "Then let's go."

She dashes off like a madwoman as he pulls himself from the stump. Looking off to the rapidly rising sun, he finishes the thought...

"A new adventure is always waiting, just have to be willing to move on..."

He takes another deep breathe before turning to the school and whatever journey awaits...

***A/N: RIP Monty. Your journey is over and yet it continues.***


	5. Musings of a Machine

Drabble: Musings of a Machine

**A/N: Starswirl's Frankenstein by 4everfreebrony and Dragonwolfrooke. A quick puff of thought from my muse, written stream of consciousness style I believe.**

Why are we here?

Its a question that everyone asks themselves at some point. A question that rarely gets an answer and even less is satisfying.

I however, know exactly why I am here. I am here to fight Grimm, to take organic Hunters and Huntresses off the field.

A weapon, that's all I was designed to be…

Why design a weapon that can think and feel… one with a soul… I already know the answer, down to the hundred millionth decimal place, I know why.

BUT I DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT!

I HATE IT!

IT'S NOT FAIR!

W-why did it have to be me? Maybe I wanted to live like an organic Huntress, to make friends, to fight and love and laugh and cry like everyone else!

Why am I denied that chance?! Why do they get to be the ones to decide who I am!?

… no.

They don't. ***I*** decide who I am.

I am not a simple piece of hardware like the Knights.

My abilities and components make me superior, to them and to the organics. I am stronger than them, I am faster, I am more durable.

But I have the one thing that the knights don't… I have a soul, I have Aura, I have a Semblance.

They built me better than them, that means I should act it.

They want a weapon, they will get a weapon. They want a warrior, they'll get a warrior…

If they want a killing machine… Dust, I'll give them one.

I will kill, eliminate, destroy…

I will take them all-

**DOOF**

Hey, who does she think she is knocking me ove... d-did she just call me friend?


	6. Autonomous Humour Response

Drabble: Autonomous Humor Response

**A/N: Another left field one. Surprised there isn't more Nuts and Dolts stories out there honestly.**

"-nd then I hit him with the fish and said, 'No *thyme* like the present'!"

Ruby busted out laughing as her synthetic girlfriend finished up a doozy of a joke. The smile across the young scythe wielder's face was mirrored on Penny's.

"Bahahaha, wh-wh-bahahahahah... andsensa 'fish' ahahah." She wipes away a tear as her laughter calms down. "Wow Penpen, that was... where'd you learn that one?"

"I made it up. I have a lot of time to think when you all are asleep and watching you gets boring after a while!" The perkiness in her voice is only accentuated as she claps her hands together. "I'm glad you liked it!"

"Alright. My turn. Hmmmm..." Ruby rubs her chin, trying to think up a joke to get Penny to laugh. She probably wouldn't get many of the dirty jokes Yang had taught her... "Ah! I've got one!"

She stands up her hands gesturing wildly as she tells her joke. "So, an engineer was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, 'If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess'. He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, 'If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week'. The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to his pocket once again. The frog then cried out, 'If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do anything you want.' Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asked, 'What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and I'll stay with you for a week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?' And then the engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool..."

Ruby takes a deep breath after saying it all on one lungful, holding it a little as she watches her girlfriend's face, hoping for the right response.

"... ohohoho," She bursts out into a laugh, her head bobbing with it, "I get it! The engineer wants the oddity of the frog more than the implied promise of sex. Ohohoho." She claps a little as her laughter continues.

"Y-yeah. You got it Penny." Not the reaction she was looking for but it showed that she could both tell and get jokes and that's progress for the sweet gynoid.

"Ok, I have another one I came up with too!" She pats Ruby on the knee, "Ok, so two Huntresses walk into a bar..."

**A/N: Definitely more than a little Short Circuit inspired. ****Might write more Nuts and Dolts at some point the more I contemplate it. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly my dear readers.**


	7. Insert Fist R into Face A

Title: Insert Fist R into Face A

**A/N: I promised myself I'd write a drabble that didn't jump into a multi-thousand word oneshot, to prove I still can if nothing else, to depressurize from all the others otherwise. I assure you that all the favorites like Big Bowl, Dust to dust, Cougars, Runs in the Family are still being worked on, congruently in fact, as well as the aforementioned large oneshots. The update wave that will happen when I finish these chapters will be quite fulfilling I hope. This one wasn't sparked by a piece of music, however I was listening to a channel on Pandora created from Resistance by Knife Party.**

"Come on baby sister, give it." Yang outstretched an open palm, jerking her fingers in insistence.

Ruby clutched a folded Crescent Rose to her chest, fingers tightened around the carefully polished and maintained metal. "Nuu... it's mine."

The blonde steps toward the youth. "Give it. Ya gotta learn sometime."

"Nu-uh." The tiny Huntress-in-training turns from her older sister, huddling the compacted scythe closer to her body, stroking it gently. "I'll never be without my baby."

The confrontation is drawing the attention of the two's other roommates, though neither would readily admit it, Blake watching from behind her not-smut atop her bunk with Weiss occasionally glancing up from jotting her study notes, each letter written in crisp, clean handwriting borne of long practice.

"You can't know that and that means we need to get you ready juuuust in case."

"I think you just want to punish me for using all your conditioner!"

"The use of the last of my **very** expensive conditioner may or may not have a stake in this but it's also about your protection!"

The blonde makes a grab for the scythe before Ruby pulls away, growling and taking a snap at her sister. "D-did you just try to bite me?"

"I... I think I did..."

The busty brawler takes a moment to rub her temples with a sigh, "Listen, Rubes, hand to hand is a very important skill to have."

"You're just saying **that** cuz it's your thing!"

Another sigh, "No that's... look, sure it's my thing to be the wham-blam-beat-down-ma'am and my weapons focus on that, but look… I know that Blake can fight without her weapon if she needs to, 'specially with her little kitty claws." Her fingers curl as she bats them at Ruby, tossing a knowing glance at the Faunus, who ducks behind her not-smut, blushing a little in embarrassment. "And heck, I'll bet even our resident Princess has to have some namby-pamby self defense training, what with being basically royalty and all that, right Weiss Cream?"

Weiss' eyes dart back down to her notes, the pencil in her hand creaking under the pressure from her long, delicate fingers.

"I'll have you know," The mechanical pencil slams to the desk as Weiss stands up, her chair screeching against the floor, "I was taught my 'namby-pamby' hand to hand by some of the finest instructors Father could find and if I had chosen to be so barbaric as you, as to use nothing but my fists, I'm certain that I would be able to easily best you! And furthermore-"

"You're wrong, but that's beside the point," the stunned look plastered across the heiress's face is priceless as her hand rises to massage her temples, trying to collect her thoughts after being so abruptly cut off.

Meanwhile, the brawler turned back to her sister, said sister still defensively clutching her scythe, but now a wee bit less tightly. "My point is that you should learn it so that so that, if nothing else, you've got another skill under your skirt." The busty blonde leans in close, eyes darting back and forth as a wide smile spreads across her face. "I know that a certain **someone** is in need of some CQC training too, and if no one else offers, we both know who he'll go too..."

Ruby's eyes jolt wide. "YourerightYangletsgo!" She grabs the elder sibling, slinging the folded scythe on her pillow and plush covered bed, bolting for the door with Yang in tow.

_'Hook... line... and sinker... now I get to teach you to use the last of my conditioner! Muahahahah!'_

The bruises left that day were never to be forgotten…

**A/N: I did it! A drabble that I didn't end up extending far beyond where I had originally intended…despite several ideas springing forth while writing this. Huzzah! Though those ideas may some day be dredged forth after I don't have so many multi-chapter stories already on my plate. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**


	8. Mortality?

***My goodness, what am I even doing with myself anymore? Wrote this little gem while all systems were down at my main job and I had to sit and stare at the MDF and WiFi, hoping that they'd come back online. Funnily enough, more Penny.***

'A quiet day is a safe day.'

It was the motto that Reed Lighten and Bluto Areen were told when they took on the seemingly simple task of guarding the young girl named Penny. A motto that had been drilled in time and time again, yet they could never seem to actually get. Around that sprightly orange haired lass there never seemed to be a quiet day. But then, maybe that trend was finally changing. It was now well into the evening and the last rays of light were fading into the horizon as the two of them stood and/or sat in the room designated for the girl, as she was not having any of their 'standing around outside her main door' nonsense.

The girl in question lay lounging on a long couch that was close in color to her vibrant eyes.

"So… how do you deal with your mortality?"

The sudden question breaks the silence, shattering the peaceful air the room had taken on.

"P-pardon?" Reed quips, looking up from his spot in a nearby armchair, rifle lying across his lap.

"You know, the thing where you'll eventually die because your bodies aren't as sturdy or as quickly repairable or as durably long lasting or-"

Bluto quickly cuts her off, raising the visor on his helmet as he holds up a silencing hand, "We get it now. You don't have to keep going, ma'am."

"Oh. Okay."

Reed rolls his shoulders, sinking further into the plush armchair. "Most of us don't. Heck, most people don't even think about it until something really bad happens and there's a good chance that ya might not make it." He shrugs. "I don't even think most of those kids in the academies think about it much, even though throwing themselves in harm's way is basically their job."

"I see. But when you **do **think about it, what are your thoughts?" The ginger girl rolls over onto her stomach, staring across the room at her red garbed guard who just shrugs, answering in a dry tone.

"Not much. 'Hope its not today', 'If I'm lucky it'll be quick or when I'm really old', 'Please don't let it be doing something stupid', that sort of thing. I try my best to not think about it and focus more on the now." He shrugs again, pulling a cloth from a pocket of his armor and lightly rubs the rifle still in his lap.

The synthetic Huntress hums in thought for a moment before turning her attention to her blue clad guard, still leaning against the wall near the door. "And you?"

"Well, I was raised with a belief in a higher power that would take care of my when I died, which was nice when I was young, but, with all the other parts of it that weren't quite as nice, it didn't really stick with me when I got into my teens. I just don't know what'll happen, ya know. It'd be cool if there was something out there that'll make things better when we die but, well, what if there isn't? What if, when a person dies, there's absolutely nothing afterward. All I've ever done is exist, so non-existence is kinda hard to contemplate. It's a really scary thought and that's why most people don't think about it much."

Her expression had turned thoughtful as her guards spoke, occasionally nodding and 'hmming' to herself.

"What do you think about it ma'am? I mean, sure you're tougher but you'll cease functioning someday. How do you deal with the thought of what happens when it's all over?"

"Oh, that's easy. When the time comes for me to stop, I'll just switch my On/Off switch to Off! Then I don't have to worry about it!" A large grin breaks out on her face.

…

…

…

Silence reigns once again in the room as Penny's wide, innocent smile made it clear that she wasn't joking.

Bluto finally spoke up after another quiet moment. "Well, I guess that is certainly a way to go about it. Huh…"

"Yeah," he turns to his companion once more, "But what was all that stuff about a higher power about?"

"Oh nothing."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Penny's giggles break the quiet discourse going on between the two. "You two are funny. I'm glad you're both my personal guards and friends."

The two take a moment to look at each other before turning back to her.

"I think we can all agree on that ma'am."

The last few rays of sunlight finally set beyond the horizon and silence falls upon the room for a final time for the day, though this time, the sun sets on a quiet, happy, comfortable silence.

***Well then, there you go. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly.***


	9. Dtd, Battle of the Village

A Moment Frozen in Time: The Battle of the Village

***A/N: This is a scene cut from Ashes to Ashes, Dust to dust in chapter 4, I wasn't sure at the time if I could reasonably write a longer combat scene and didn't want to possibly ruin what I already had written, but I still wrote it out and it definitely ran on a bit more 'rule of cool' and a pinch more silliness. May not quite have fit the theme at the time or the perspectives. Musical accompaniment is a group called "The Luna Sequence" just about anything of theirs will fit the scene, though I have a fondness for 'Now, There is Nothing.***

"Duck!"

The orange haired maiden crouched into pirouette as a large Ursa claw swept overhead, the wide grin never leaving her face. "SMACK!" Her momentum carried through in a heavy swing with her beloved hammer, launching the unfortunate Grimm high into the air.

"Left!" Jaune rolled to the left as 2 explosive canisters whizzed where he had been into a pack of Boarbatusks, scattering them like gravel.

**C****lick~** "I'm out, nothing but hammer now!"

"Welcome to my world!" Jaune shouted as he came out of the roll, cutting a Beowolf in half.

"When did you get a hammer?"

"You know what I mean!" His blade tore through another of the weak Grimm, but it seemed like more were always there.

The sea of Grimm pulled back from the two, circling but staying just out of melee range, leaving the two teens to close up, coming back to back to scan the roiling tide of black, white and red.

"They're learning... clever girls... or boys... do Grimm have gender?"

"Not the time Nora, but no, I don't think they do," he glanced down at his scroll, fitted into the bracer on his arm, "How's your Aura?"

"Great, yours?"

"Still pretty topped off."

"You wanna rush em? Maybe Blonde Bomber?"

"I'm thinking something a bit more classic for us. Catapult."

"You got it." Her grin grew all the wider as she looked around for the perfect platform. "Fallen tree, 3'o'clock."

"Perfect. On 3. 1... 2... 3!" The blonde rushed towards the designated tree, jumping up and over a Beowolf, springing off the head of another and landing on the end of the tree planted in the ground, bracing for the split second before a pink and orange blur slammed down from the sky, hitting the other end but not shattering the tree itself.

"SSSMACK!"

The blonde knight shot high into air, giving him just enough hang time to contemplate,_ 'Why do all __of __our combos involve throwing me around? __It feels really unfair...__' _before the cruel mistress of gravity retook control of him, sending the boy hurtling towards the swarming Grimm.

His meteoric impact crushed several smaller beasts, scattering scores more of them, while simultaneously throwing them into their fellows and buying enough time for Nora to come through and up her final killcount, ending the negative beasts while they were down.

"58 more down!" 

"Several hundred more to go!"

"Yeah! Don't worry, we'll get em!"

"Heckuva slog through them though."

"That's half the fun silly!" She reeled her hammer back for another swing into Jaune's pert rear.

'_Loooong fight...'_

"FORE!"

**A/N: Of course as I wrote it it got more than a bit silly but that's Nora for you and why not write with your characters rather than against them eh? May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**

**E/N: Machina's little ending line might make you believe that he likes the sun and the moon equally, but this heretic like Sunbutt more! That is heresy! Moonbutt is the greatest!**


	10. How Many Times?

How Many Times?

**A/N: A thought that's been rattling around my head, as it was a possible route for a story that'll be coming out soon, discarded for a more satisfying end but I just had to get it out of my head. I know it won't make much sense for now but some day, it'll click I hope. For now, I just wanted to get it out.**

The scythe spun through the air with inhuman speed, each blow countered by the many blades of her constantly shifting foe.

The massive beast tore through her arms, the shower of sparks falling upon the field that was littered with the bodies of all the fallen. "How many times?" It rumbled, its voice felt more than heard, before everything was consumed in a blinding flash.

* * *

The scythe shattered into more and more pieces with each strike, each swirling chunk blocking another blade. Yellow gauntlets took form around her arms, tearing forward through the field of the dead, blast after blast cleaving into the swirling mass.

More blades pour forth from her foe, impaling through her limbs, her chest, and even her head. "HOW MANY TIMES!?"

Another blinding flash…

* * *

Pinned to the ground, its horrid gestalt face looming, "How many times?"

Blood dripping from her mouth she smiles.

"43"

Another blinding flash…

* * *

Burned to the bone.

She laughs in defiance.

"105"

* * *

Flayed alive and left to bleed on that muddy beach, even as it clutches the remains of half an arm.

Her smile never fades.

"209"

* * *

The gauntlet pressed underneath her own chin, "1,756.."

* * *

"2,403. As long as it takes..."

* * *

"An eternity if necessary..."

**A/N: May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**


	11. Time Limit

Time Limit

**A/N: Just a thought that came to me while walking to and from the store, wrote its original form in less than an hour and pretty happy with that. Have a oneshot dear readers. Editing for this and the previous one done by the fantastic Zirr0h, his/her thoroughness in going through it and helpful directions have certainly made this far better.**

The Goliath is not the sort of Grimm that is often trifled with. It's not just for their immense size or tendency to travel in packs, but also for the fact that their existence meant they had survived decades—even centuries— gaining wisdom and survival tactics from such a lengthy lifespan.

Despite this knowledge it didn't stop Headquarters from sending Team JNPR against one that had been separated from its pack near the walls.

After years of deployment, at varying degrees of urgency, the turbulent rocking of the ship had long ago become nothing more than background information. Flying at incredible speeds out of the relative safety of Vale, the turbulence of the ship no longer churned the stomach of the onboard team's blonde leader.

Scratching at the rough stubble growing on his face, Jaune muttered about needing to shave before turning to his team. Each member was going through their own pre-action routines, motions long since committed to memory and habit.

Nora bounced in her seat, the energy from her almost palpable as her music thumped loudly from her headphones. Maginhild was resting on the seat next to her, folded and ready to go at a moment's notice.

Ren, as always, sat on the ships floor with his legs crossed and eyes closed, completely unperturbed by the rocking and bumping of the ship's flight. His breathing came even and deep, the faintest wisps of Aura curling and flowing around him.

As for Pyrrah, dear, dear Pyrrha. She worried over her equipment, checking for even the slightest of defects even though she knew that it'd be perfect. Even after all of these years the champion mentality never left her. It was enough to bring a soft smile to Jaune's face as he stood up from his own seat, breaking the silence over the 4 of them.

"Guys, this is a big one. A solo Goliath, they want it dead naturally. It'll be a bigger blow than most against the Grimm, given the lost firepower and knowledge alone." A wide smile spreads on his face. "Who knows, we kill one and the rest fall all the easier." He then shrugged. "But that's neither here nor there. What is, is that we're getting sent in by ourselves at first. They've got team RWBY and DRGE on standby, ready to jump if need be, but they wouldn't ask us to do this if they didn't think we could, right?" Jaune's confidence shone through in both his tone and his stance. "I'm not against calling for help obviously, but if we do, we don't get to have the victory feast and we'd have to share the parade." That comment gets a few chuckles out of his comrades.

The voice of the pilot crackles over the intercom, putting a pause to Jaune's speech. "Arrival at DZ in 30 seconds. Opening doors now. Good luck team."

"I guess that's my cue for the lightshow." Jaune takes a deep breath, bending a knee as his body is wreathed in a sharp golden light. "We'll make it through this just fine. I trust each and every one of you with my life and I always have." As his words flow, so does the light, snaking out to his standing comrades and wrapping around them. Each one feels a renewed confidence that steels their nerves and shields their minds.

"Team...Drop!"

Stealing a quick kiss from Pyrrha as he strode past, Jaune is the first out of the door. He folds his body in a well-practiced drop maneuver, knowing without needing to look back that his team was only seconds behind him. Instead he focused on the massive beast below, which was only growing larger at his meteoric descent.

Its massive black hide was marred by old wounds and bony protrusions, showing its age, but it was a slightly smaller size compared to the ones Jaune and his team had seen before, which was even more telling in that regard. As if sensing them it turned its gargantuan head skyward, its beady amber eyes seeming to meet Jaune's directly. It was a gaze filled with a malice that would've sent a chill down anyone's spine, triggering the fight or flight instinct in any normal human,

Jaune just smiled even wider, baring his teeth at the beast. "Hi there, ugly." He then called into an earpiece. "Pyrrha now!"

He threw his hands forward, drawing his sword and shield in one swift motion, immediately braking against the raging winds as more than a dozen large rods flew past him. His flaring Aura turned a deep, inky black and began roping out to latch onto the rods.

The rods, each more than 3 meters long, accelerate well past terminal velocity, impacting all along the Goliath's body. Several embed themselves in its thick hide while others spear through its large feet. The rods unfurl like sharp metal flowers, taking hold and pinning the beast to the ground even as the thick wisps of Aura radiate from the impact points.

Ren's voice crackles over the connected earpieces. "3 minutes at its current rate."

It lets out a loud, trumpeting noise, deep enough to vibrate in the chest of the 4 Hunters. "You heard him ladies, weapons free! Unleash hell!" Jaune says as the beast trumpets once more before it begins thrashing harshly against the binding spikes.

"BONZAI!" A telltale thump is his only sign before Jaune is bodily grabbed by the energetic Nora and carried at breakneck speed through the ever shortening distance between him and the Goliath's back.

The two collide with its tough black hide in an explosion that would've pulverized any normal human and most Grimm. However it seemed to only crater the aged elephant's skin, doing little else but seeming to piss it off even more.

"Time?"

"For this sucker? I'll need about 2 minutes." The clouds above begin to swirl and darken as a rumble runs through the sky, the orange haired bomber already beginning to crackle with static.

"I'll do what I can to buy you that time." Jaune runs along the toughened skin towards the nearest protruding spike, taking a firm grasp as his Aura wraps around it, funneling into the beast and filling its mind with thoughts of doubt.

That doubt is then escalated as the other two team members crash into its large faceplate, both of them rolling with the impact and already unleashing waves of rounds into its significantly weaker eyes.

It thrashes its head back and forth as another trumpet erupts from its massive trunk, rocking the two veteran Hunters off balance but not off its mask. All the while the beast is wriggling its body harder against its restraints.

"It's tearing through my rods, Jaune!" Pyrrha shouts.

"1 minute, 5 seconds." Ren informs them.

"Nora?!"

"Working on it!" The bomber's body is practically vibrating with the barely restrained energy building in her body, as the skies above darken to a deeper black and rumble almost constantly.

Pyrrha and Ren regain their balance for a brief moment, before focusing onto the beady amber eyes of the beast by unleashing another flurry of rounds into the soft tissue.

The thick trunk of the Goliath curls upwards and releases a torrent of viscous, black fluid over its face, sizzling and eating away at any non-Grimm material on its mask and causing the Hunter's Auras to flare brightly.

"Nora?!" Jaune called with some unease.

"30 seconds!" A fleshy noise fills the air as the Goliath finally rips its feet free from the binding spikes, allowing it more freedom as its hide begins to writhe and reform.

"It's free Jaune! Incoming spray!" Pyrrha yells as she clings onto the now less restrained creature.

"NORA!"

The sky goes silent for the briefest of moments, all rumbling ceasing and even the sounds of battle fade. Nora's form is encompassed with a brilliant pink glow as she raises her hammer to the sky, a toothy grin on her face. "Bringing down the thunder boys!" Her arm falls just as her teammates jump in different directions.

…

…

The sky splits in half as a massive column of pent up energy races down like the ire of a vengeful god, honing in on the metal spikes embedded across the beast's hide. The Goliath jerks and writhes as its hide begins to bubble away. Its pained trumpeting is drowned out by the roaring rage of the heavens and the joyous, maniacal laughter of one small bomber.

Lengthy arcs of lightning jump between the poles, only seeming to amplify the wrath they hold, as they carry out their deadly work. Until finally, the energy of the world spent, it fades, leaving only the distinct smell of burning flesh and ozone.

Nora walks along the length of the giant beast and stops just atop its bony mask, with a little giggle she lightly taps it with her hammer. "Boop."

The massive carcass crumbles as the smoke wafting off of it turns much darker and the beast slowly fades away.

Jaune and the others pick themselves off the ground to briefly dust off their clothes before the jubilant hammer wielder rejoins them, leaning fairly heavily on her weapon.

"HQ, this is JNPR...Target dispatched. Time," Jaune looks down at his watch. "1 minute, 48.3 seconds. Though you did give us a baby one, so we won't demand too much reward. A small parade will do."

"And breakfast, I'm starving!"

**A/N: Still not the best at writing fight scenes but I don't feel super awful about this, especially given that it was an idle idea and written in one sitting. Feels good to do that though. I'll leave just how old they are to the imagination. May the night see you safe and the dawn greet you kindly dear readers.**


End file.
